


Scroll of Shikanohi

by emibudd



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Akatsuki - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Battle, Multi, Namikaze Minato Lives, Post-Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26715811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emibudd/pseuds/emibudd
Summary: In a world where Uchiha Fugaku was the Fourth Hokage and Namikaze Minato lived to raise his son, Shikanohi, the son of a Nara and an Uchiha with a debilitating disease, must get stronger and figure out his Ninja Way.
Relationships: Sora of the Fire Temple/Uzumaki Naruto
Kudos: 2





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so this is done! I sort of remade this chapter, which I initially wrote a couple of months ago. I should be posting chapter 2 (featuring tons of original Jutsu and fights) in 2 weeks or so, so stay tuned!

_'Who am I kidding? Even if I get over myself and pass, I'll get killed on a mission. I'll overexert myself, trying to be a hero, and wind up dead. It'd be better if I just stayed here and supported them from the sidelines. They want me in the team, but they've just convinced themselves to think that way because they'd feel bad for me otherwise... maybe the exam is already over, and I missed it. With this weather it's impossible to tell. How long have I been here..?'_

Shikanohi had been lying on his bed for hours without the motivation to get up. He'd done the same thing almost every day of that month, mostly to think about his problems and tire out his own head, so he didn't overthink things when it mattered. He knew he could be late for his Academy graduation exam, but he couldn't find it in himself to get up.

His two best friends, Tenjō and Sakumotsu, had put in a request for them to be on the same team, so they'd be together as long as they passed. If Shikanohi made it in time, that is. As sunlight finally streamed in through his window onto his glassy eyes, he realized _'I can't let them down. Even if I don't know why I want to become a shinobi, the least I can do is be at their side'_. Quickly, he jumped out of bed and started changing, putting on his signature greyed-out baggy yellow cloak and black pants. _'Should I tie my hair? Well, I want to look different from my old man in my graduation picture, at least.'_ he thought as he walked out of the room with his black, spiky hair down to get some breakfast.

It was a dark winter morning, the kind of snowy day where only a few hours of each day had sunlight. Downstairs, his father Shikaku was eating some plain toast while reading a newspaper. Even though Shikanohi's mother, Ren, was out on missions for a few days every week, he still stubbornly refused to learn to cook. When he saw his dad, Shikanohi subtly nodded, a gesture that Shikaku returned; it was all they needed to communicate. However, as the boy made some scrambled eggs, his father looked up from the paper and asked "Wasn't your graduation exam today? You're gonna be late." he finished. Shikanohi grabbed some toast and responded "I'll be fine. I was the last one on the call list.". It was true, but he wasn't sure whether he'd make it in time even with all that leeway. However, Shikaku seemed content and went back to reading as his son rushed through his breakfast. Before his son left for the Academy, he reminded him "Your uncle and cousins are coming over tonight to celebrate your graduation, so come back early." - "Got it." Shikanohi answered curtly.

Shikanohi walked through his neighbourhood slowly, taking in the fresh winter air. However, below his calm exterior, the doubts kept worming in. He was always meant to be a prodigy, a once-in-a-generation mix of two of the Leaf's most prominent clans, but his parents' only child had been cursed from birth by a rare Chakra concentration disease. What little Chakra he has is extremely powerful, yet pretty much impossible to divide to use smaller scale Jutsu. He was destined to die in an accident on the battlefield, putting too much of his Chakra into a random Jutsu.

The boy couldn't help but wonder _'What if I actually don't make it in time? If I've really made up my mind, I sh_ -SHIKANOHI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU COLOSSAL IDIOT?!" the boy's heart leapt and he jumped backwards a few meters, only to see the one who scared him out of his thoughts "God Tenjō, you scared the living hell out of me! I told you to stop sneaking up on..." he interrupted himself as he saw his friend's expression. Senju Tenjō, the blond child of the Sannin member Senju Tsunade, stood in front of him with a frown so big that it covered his eyes, and retaliated "I don't CARE that you're scared, you moron, YOU'RE GOING TO MISS YOUR GRADUATION EXAM! What are you gonna do when we're stuck with some bum nobody as our third member, huh?! Come on, let's get you to the Academy. Move!! I'll scold you later." he yelled as he dragged Shikanohi forward by the ear, who in turn complained "Owowow, okay, I get it, I get it! And you already scolded me, you don't need to do it again!"

A couple of blocks from the academy, the pair started to get worried "If we don't make it in time after I saw you walking at the pace of a slug before I told you off, I will murder you in cold blood, you hear me? The only reason I haven't done it already is because it'd be rude to Sakumotsu." grumbled Tenjō before greeting their friend, who was leaning on a fence, waiting for them. The young Hyūga Sakumotsu looked nothing like a member of his own clan, with spiky black hair he'd styled after his hero, Hatake Kakashi. "Hey Sakumotsu! Guess who I found idly walking around instead of going to his exams?" yelled Tenjō at him across the street. The boy closed his tired eyes in resignation and sighed "I'm gonna be honest, every time I get involved when you're mad at Shikanohi I end up getting punched, Tenjō. You guys sort it out.". As the two passed him by, Sakumotsu suddenly set Shikanohi aside, his expression turning serious "Hey, you can do this, alright? I know you've been having problems getting motivated, but if it helps, do it for us. We have your back.". Before the black-haired boy could thank him, a dark, blonde, and very angry presence appeared behind him "I SAID, LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

Tenjō circled in front of the classroom where Shikanohi was taking his exam, nervously biting off his nails. Suddenly, he heard voices coming from inside, and started to slowly approach the door, hoping to get a better listen. When he was about to get to it, the voices getting clearer and clearer, the door burst open, knocking him down to the wall beside it. Shikanohi looked around confusedly, not sure why his friend had left, before seeing him hidden behind the door. "Oh, there you- wait a minute, is your nose broken? Oh my god, we gotta get you to the infirmary, it's bleeding a lot!" he panicked before his friend grabbed him by the shoulders and questioned "Did you paff???", having trouble speaking. Shikanohi was taken aback, before quickly responding "Yeah, of course! It wasn't very hard at all, I don't know why you made such a big deal ou-" he started saying before his friend tackle-hugged him, half crying and half bleeding "I weally fought dat we'd get somewone elfe on ouw team..." Tenjō attempted to say. The black-haired Nara hugged back, smiling, before realizing "You're being cute, but we really gotta get you to the infirmary. Come on, put your arm around my shoulders."

As Tenjō packed gauze around his broken nose, Shikanohi tried to stir up some small talk "So, how do you think our sensei's gonna be like? We're supposed to be getting someone really strong because of Sakumotsu, right?"- their teammate was exceptionally powerful for a Genin. The blond frowned and tried responding "Well, it's no-OW!" he winced, before continuing "It's not just because of Sakumotsu, we both got pretty good test results, you know? Though yeah, we'll be getting a 'special unit leader' assigned. I actually know him, he's... sort of part of my family? It'll be easier to get once you meet him.". Shikanohi shrugged "Alright then, let's get going. The director told me we got a meeting with him on classroom 205." he said as he helped his friend up and opened the door.

When the two arrived at the classroom, they found Sakumotsu outside it, leaning on the wall with his tired eyes closed. "Well Sakumotsu, who do you think is gonna be our sensei? I heard it was Kakashi-sama himself!" Shikanohi teased the Kakashi fanboy with a devious smile. The Hyūga opened his eyes and frowned "Ha ha, very funny. Let's go in alread... did Tenjō break his nose our something?" he asked, having noticed the very discrete massive clouds of gauze wrapped around his friend's nose. "No time for questions, let's go in!!" nervously chuckled Shikanohi as he dragged the other two into the classroom.

However, as soon as they entered the room, the door was covered by wooden trunks. Suddenly, a voice came from behind them "Boo!"; for the second time that morning, Shikanohi jumped backwards, heart racing, only to see a friendly-looking brown-haired man wearing a facial protector, though he barely had time to look at him before Tenjō butted in "C'mon uncle Yamato, don't sneak up on us like that!". _'Huh? Says the guy whose whole fighting style is sneaking up on other people...'_ Shikanohi thought before the man apparently called Yamato burst out laughing "BWAHAHAHAHA, oh, sorry, sorry, I couldn't help myself." he wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as he regained his composure "Anyways, as Tenjō said, I'm Yamato. I'll be the leader of this team 10 from now on. And I told you to call me Yamato-sensei, Tenjō!" he finished.

As the two argued, Sakumotsu's eyes widened "Wait, Yamato-san? As in the wood style user, Yamato-san?!" he questioned. _'How does he know that?'_ Shikanohi asked himself before his friend continued "The Yamato-san who worked on Kakashi-san's ANBU team?!?!" he asked, starry eyed; _'Ah, there it is, the Kakashi fanboy. These three are hopeless...'_ the black haired boy thought to himself, disillusioned. "You know a lot!" answered Yamato-sensei "I worked with Kakashi-senpai for a while, yes. Also, just so you're not confused, I'm not actually related to Tenjō, the Senju family just took me in because of my usage of Wood Release. That does not mean he shouldn't treat me as his sensei, understood?" he said as he glared at the young Senju, who nodded reluctantly. _'He seems as eccentric as all the Senju I know, at least...'_ thought Shikanohi.

Yamato-sensei continued "Now, that's enough messing around. I'm sure you've been told we've been classified as a special unit because of your unusually good performance in the Graduation Exam. That means we'll be assigned high level C-rank missions right away, so this is no time to slack off just because you passed the exams. When we don't have missions, we'll meet up on the Eighth Training Ground to work on your Jutsu. Understood?" he finished, speaking in a serious tone. "Yes sir!" answered the three Genin. Yamato-sensei relaxed his posture and smiled "Alright, you have the rest of today off. Dismissed!"

A few hours later, the three Genin of Team 10 were walking around Konoha's commercial district. A delicious and distinct aroma came from each shop, and you could see anyone, ranging from expert ninja to civilians, relaxing in the atmosphere. Tenjō had gone to get the trio some snacks, so Sakumotsu took the chance to bring up something he wanted to talk about "So Shikanohi, were you late because you couldn't get up from bed again?" though his mask covered most of his face, his eyes denoted a worried expression. The Nara boy put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground "Yeah... it's getting harder and harder to find the motivation to get up." he admitted. His friend sighed "Don't push yourself too hard. If it ever feels especially bad, just tell me and I'll come up with a cover story. You gotta take care of yourself." - before Shikanohi had the chance to answer, Tenjō came back with a very excessive amount of treats "Surprise...! They were having a big sale and I kind of got carried away..." he admitted, embarrassed. Tenjō had never been very good with money, a trait he inherited from his mother, but his carelessness mainly showed itself with sales rather than gambling. "Honestly, you're going to end up sinking your whole clan with your spending..." sighed Shikanohi. Sakumotsu chuckled "Well, I'm certainly not going to complain!!" as he grabbed a few bags from the pile Tenjō was holding.

As they continued walking through the district, Shikanohi decided to ask a question he'd been thinking about for a while "Uh, guys? I wanted to ask you, what are your goals as a shinobi?" he asked, secretly hoping to find some meaning of his own. After Tenjō swallowed the chocolate bar he was eating, he responded "Well, I want to become stronger than my mom! That way I can protect you idiots from whatever messes you get in." he finished sassily. Shikanohi shrugged it off and turned to his other teammate "How about you Sakumotsu? Getting adopted by Kakashi-sama, perhaps?" he teased. The Hyūga turned red and quickly slapped Shikanohi on the back of the head "Man, you never change your jokes, do you?" he said, clearly flustered, before his black-haired friend burst out laughing "Oh, so I was right!! I really do know you too well, huh?". Sakumotsu regained his composture "Well, not getting adopted, but maybe something else! Imagine he saw me in the Chūnin and was so impressed that he decided to personally tutor me..." he finished, starry-eyed. Shikanohi leaned into Tenjō and whispered not-very-subtly "Yeah, he's definitely lost it..."; as the blonde chuckled the Hyūga retaliated "I HEARD THAT!".

After spending the day hanging around town with Sakumotsu and Tenjō, Shikanohi finally got home. He heard voices coming from the kitchen, which meant his family was already here. When he opened the door, he was greeted by his parents, uncle and cousins sitting at the table, with a still fresh feast right in front of them. His mother immediately started scolding him "Shikanohi, you're late! We almost had to start eating without you at your own graduation celebration, honestly..." before his uncle Fugaku, the Fourth Hokage, chimed in "Now now Ren, he had a day off! He's gotta savour those while he can, I'm really gonna work him to the bone, after all." he joked.

His cousin Itachi started serving him some food as he sat down next to him "So, how does it feel to be a Genin?" he asked; Shikanohi relaxed and smiled "Great! I'm in a special unit because me and my teammates all did well in the exam, so apparently we'll get tougher missions." he finished as he reached over for a dumpling. His mother, however, looked disapprovingly at her brother, concerned "Tougher missions? Fugaku, they're just kids..." she argued. Fugaku smiled reassuringly "Now now, they're all really exceptional Genin. And they'll get C-rank missions at most, they won't be fighting any shinobi.". Shikanohi's cousin Sasuke swallowed and said "I remember my first day as a Genin. Kakashi really wrung us out. Hopefully you'll have an easier time tomorrow." he said sassily. "You know Sasuke, Shikanohi's going to cooperate with Naruto and Sora for his first mission tomorrow." said Fugaku, his son looking disillusioned "Those two? They're a piece of work, I'll tell you that..." he said before putting another piece of fish in his mouth. Shikaku used the chance to interject "Alright, before we trail off, I'd like to propose a toast to Shikanohi. You've really made us proud son, so give it your all with your missions from tomorrow." he said with a meaningful look as he raised his glass.

"To Shikanohi!" repeated the others in unison.

Far away from the Nara-Uchiha household and even from Konoha, two cloaked men walked through a thick forest in the Land of Fire. One of them carried a large blade on his back, the other had a longer cloak that seemed to hide his arms. "So, the Kyūbi, huh? Since it's from Konoha, maybe it'll give me a chance to kill an Uchiha brat or two, right? Imagine if the Jinchūriki were guarded by that bastard Itachi himself!" the latter cackled maniacally. "Don't get carried away, Deidara-san. You should know not to underestimate them by this point, don't you think so?" asked his partner.

"I guess you're right, Kisame, my man."


	2. First blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple mission to fend off grave bandits turns dangerous as the group, guarding the Nine-Tails' two Jinchūriki, encounter two powerful Akatsuki members.

It was, once again, a cold winter morning, though it was much darker than the previous day; Shikanohi didn't have the luxury of laying in bed for hours anymore. His morning routine remained the same, and he quickly got ready and stepped out of his house. As he turned the last corner to their meeting spot, he saw the rest of his team waiting; his best friend Tenjō, in particular, looked almost as angry as the morning before, though he was clearly holding it in because of his captain's presence "Honestly... late for our first mission! You never learn, do you?" he grumbled, brows so thick from anger that his eyes were buried by them. Captain Yamato chuckled, wisely choosing not to escalate the situation "Well, as I explained to the other two, we've been called to the Hokage's office to meet our clients. I hear it's a pretty low risk mission, plus we'll be guarding shinobi, so fighting off a few bandits to get basic combat experience won't be very hard. We don't have any time to lose, so now that you're here, let's go!" and with that, his figure blurred as he used the Body Flicker Technique to swiftly head to the Hokage's office, his subordinates following suit.

As Shikanohi went up the stairs to his uncle's office, the argument that seemed to be going on in there got clearer and clearer, with captain Yamato somehow looking more and more tired as it did; he clearly knew who it was that the Hokage was arguing with. The team finally arrived at the right floor, heading down the hall while Shikanohi finally started making out some of what was being said "... get it, but you're exaggerating. Plus, what happens if he tries some flashy Jutsu? We can't take responsibility for a genin playing hero!". Though he didn't show it, Shikanohi had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew they were talking about him.

His rare Chakra concentration disease meant that he had exceptionally powerful Chakra, but very little of it, making every Jutsu a gamble on whether or not he'd overstate the amount he needed and run out, just one mistake away from death. He had trained enough to use some basic Jutsu and knew his limits, but it was clear whoever was in that office didn't see it that way. As he swallowed his insecurity and finally reached the door, his captain cautiously opened it.

Quite a scene awaited them inside: a spiky-haired blonde boy who had clearly shut up mid-argument, seeing that the "genin playing hero" had probably heard him; it was Namikaze Naruto, the son of the Leaf's Yellow Flash and the Jinchūriki of half of the Nine Tails. Accompanying him and somehow looking equally embarrassed was the host of the second half, Sora of the Fire Temple, a very slim dark-haired shinobi wearing a long cloak. Shikanohi had heard of these Chūnin, as they were both somewhat famous locally.

Realizing that the boy had probably heard the argument, his uncle Fugaku quickly tried to de-escalate the situation "Alright! Glad you four are finally here. We were discussing the mission a bit, but I think that's been cleared up, hasn't it, Naruto?" he said as he stared inquisitively at the Jinchūriki. The boy clearly wasn't convinced, but didn't want to make a scene by talking poorly about someone who was in front in him "... yes, it's done." to which the Fourth Hokage responded with a smile before continuing "Good, I'll explain the mission then. We've gotten news from the Fire Temple monks that bandits have been attempting to ravage the tomb of Sora's mother. Since we must make sure Jinchūriki are safe at all times" he said while clearly looking at Naruto, "I want you four to guard them and help them fend off the bandits. Understood?" the members of Team 10 quickly straightened their posture and said, in chorus "Yes, sir!" while the Jinchūriki, sighing simultaneously, grumbled their agreement. However, Fugaku either didn't notice or didn't care "Alright, scatter!" 

As the group reached the village gates Sakumotsu's cool exterior, which had been slowly breaking apart since they entered the Hokage's office, was finally shattered "So Naruto-senpai, is it really true that you trained under Kakashi-san since you started out as a Genin?" he asked with twinkles in his eyes. Naruto looked at him, a bit puzzled "Yeah, I have. Now that I look at you... are you a fanboy of his or something?" he asked with an almost accusatory smile, getting a chuckle out of Shikanohi. Sakumotsu blushed, the part of his face that wasn't covered instantly turning red "W-well I wouldn't say I'm a fanboy per se, someone just t-told me about that the other day and I was curious! That's all!" Naruto laughed more genuinely in response "Hey, hey, it's okay! I could introduce you to him someday, ya know!"- he ignored the Hyūga's white eyes widening to a worrying extent - "What kind of Jutsu do you use?". The black haired Genin took a moment to metaphorically pick his jaw off the floor before answering "I-I use Kenjutsu a-and Water R-Release." he mumbled nervously; "Oh, Water Release? You're fresh out of the Academy, right? That's pretty great, not many Genin have that kind of skill so early, ya know!" he said, impressed, as they finally reached the forest where the shadows could hide Sakumotsu's tomato-looking face.

Around the time the forest path turned to road again, Shikanohi decided he should try to remediate the awkwardness caused by Naruto's earlier comments. Catching up with the two Jinchūriki, he amicably asked "So, you two have known each other for a long time right?"; Naruto looked quite relieved "Oh, yeah! Since we both have that annoying fox locked inside of us, we had something to bond over." - Sora then chimed in "I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't know Naruto. We were friends since before the Academy and started dating about 7 months ago." - "Hey, we're only supposed to tell that to friends and family, ya know!" Naruto said, though he clearly didn't mind. Sora chuckled "Oh yeah, since we're Jinchūriki, we're supposed to have children who can inherit the Tailed Beast we have inside. Though we don't really care, and old man Hokage doesn't mind either. We just gotta try and keep it secret so those advisor geezers don't get all annoyed. You won't tell anyone, right?" he said, looking at Shikanohi warmly, who replied "Of course! You can trust me, I'm pretty good with secrets." he said with a smile.

Shikanohi decided to keep the conversation going when the rest of the group caught up "So, what exactly is this whole bandit thing about?" he asked curiously, to which Sora answered "Well, my mom died in the Nine-Tails attack and she was buried near the Fire Temple with my dad." Shikanohi interjected "Oh, I didn't know. I'm so sorry." though the Jinchūriki brushed it off "It's okay, don't worry about it. Anyways, the spot is a bit secluded so the monks can't protect it all that well, and we got a message from them saying the fencing around it had been broken, so we're just gonna wait around it and-" Naruto enthusiastically interrupted "Kick their butts when they try anything funny, ya know!!". Sora chuckled "Well, it's probably just some local kids, so we'll just scare them off, but Naruto's on the right track." he said, smiling at the blond boy.

A couple of hours later, the group was nearing their destination, only off by a few dozen meters. Suddenly, Sakumotsu stopped the others "Wait. I sense some really strong Chakra nearby." he said carefully. Sora looked troubled "Now that you mention it, I do too. Maybe it's some Leaf Jōnin?" he asked. Sakumotsu interjected, his Byakugan already active "Negative. They're two Shinobi in... black coats. With a red cloud pattern! Could it be...?"- although they tried to hide it, Naruto and Sora's expressions went from curiosity to concealed terror "The Akatsuki." finally blurted out Naruto. 

Shikanohi had read a lot of the Akatsuki; it was mandatory for Academy students to memorize the current Bingo Book, after all. A group of exceptional rogue ninja from many different nations, the Akatsuki had surfaced a few months back. They started doing jobs for various nations, offering their services as exceptional Ninja. However, they had recently attacked and captured the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails and the Seven-Tails. Since they hadn't reappeared, the Jinchūriki were taken for dead. This news spread like wildfire, and even hardline villages like the Hidden Stone blacklisted them. And here they were, in the middle of the Land of Fire.

Yamato attempted to take control of the situation "Sakumotsu, can you tell what members we're dealing with?"- squinting, the Hyūga responded "I think so. Judging by their Chakra systems, I'd say... Hoshigake Kisame of the Hidden Mist and... Deidara of the Hidden Stone." it was Shikanohi's turn to be scared "You're sure it's Deidara?!" he asked his partner. After an incident where Shikanohi's cousin Itachi had gotten Deidara to blow up his own arms in battle, leaving him crippled, he'd gone on to murder 4 Uchiha clan members. "Yeah. His Chakra cuts off where his arms should be. There's no way it's a Transformation."

"Alright, we have to go RIGHT NOW. We're going back to the Leaf." Yamato quickly responded, and the group started running back the way they came. The Akatsuki were extremely notorious as ridiculously powerful Ninja; even an experienced Jōnin like Yamato couldn't deal with two of them at once. Sakumotsu turned his head, keeping tabs on them "It's no use, they're catching up!". The team's captain stopped. "We'll have to distract them and then run then. Sora, Naruto, get a joint Rasengan ready. I'll-" he was cut off by a roar reverberating through the forest:

雷遁 ・ 覆た輝弾 !!

Raiton: Kutsugaeta Terudan!!

Lightning Release: Coated Flash Bullet!!

A small white bullet surrounded by a Chakra shield was shot at the group. Yamato quickly created wooden barriers in front of them but the bullet broke through, losing its lightning exterior and imploding, knocking all the Leaf ninja back. Two shady figures landed a few meters from them. One of them, who Shikanohi recognized as Deidara, grumbled "Man! My mouth always feels so dry after using that Jutsu. I miss my hands, dammit!" while the burly Kisame stayed behind him, smirking. A rival to the Mist's legendary Terumī Mei, Hoshigake Kisame had had 5 tails Chakra sealed inside him, which the Mist stole from the Stone in the Second Shinobi World War. A master of Boil Release and the perfect counter for Yamato's usage of Water and Earth Release. This combination was clearly planned. 

"What are a bunch of kids doing here? This wasn't in the mission report. Man, the Leaf sure is sloppy!" complained Deidara. Kisama responded "Now now, don't worry about it Deidara-san. I think we'll do just fine against some Genin." the blue-skinned man grabbed his sword, ripping off the bandages that covered it. Shikanohi could see it... reddening, somehow, like it was heating up. "Buy me some time, will you?" - "My pleasure!" smirked Deidara before shooting off the ground and into the middle of the group. He quickly turned his body so his feet would aim towards Yamato:

爆遁 ・ 退院蹴 !!

Bakuton: Taiinke!!

Explosion Release: Discharge Kick!!

The ninja's sandals started glowing before shooting off a blast of Chakra in the captain's direction. Protected by a makeshift wooden barrier, Yamato ran forward, instantly forming the seals Boar, Dog and Ram:

水遁 ・ 破奔流 !!  
Suiton: Hahonryū !!  
Water Release: Ripping Torrent !!

Pointing at Deidara, a massive blast of water shot from his hand, knocking the Akatsuki member back, though a cushion made of explosive clay softened the impact. Sakumotsu quickly flashed by, attacking Deidara from the back with a swift sword strike, but the Ninja quickly propelled off the ground once again, blasting the Genin with another Discharge Kick just as he dodged the wooden logs that popped out of the ground, trying to hold him down. As he ran towards the rest of the group, he realized "The blonde genin is gone... but I can't detect his Chakra anywhere. What's that brat planning?"- just as he thought it Tenjō suddenly appeared in front of him, holding back his fist:

霊輸送の術 !!

Reiyusō no Jutsu!!

Spirit Transportation Jutsu!!

Seeing his right arm glowing with Chakra, Deidara quickly spit out some of his clay, jumping away before it exploded and knocking Tenjō, who had been protected by a wooden wall popping out of the ground, into Sakumotsu. Deidara tackled Shikanohi, pinning him against a tree and frowning "Your face looks... oddly familiar. Don't tell me... are you an Uchiha? Please say yes kid, please!!" he said while grinning maniacally. Wood release trunks shot out of the ground, trapping him, but a blast of Explosion release Chakra quickly destroyed them as Deidara went back to where Kisame was standing. Yamato was at a clear disadvantage.

"As is expected from Yamato of the Wood Style! Kisame, my man, pass me Samehada!!" Kisame looked miffed "Deidara-san, you already used the combination Jutsu today. It's my turn, don't you think so? Plus, we're supposed to bring the Jinchūriki back alive." The blonde accepted "Fine, fine. Go ahead, Kisame, my man." he said, looking at his partner's sword, which was beginning to exude heat so strong that Shikanohi could feel it from a distance. _'This is... a game to them. They take turns murdering people with their techniques. What are we going to do?!'_ he thought in disbelief.

As steam started to filter from the sword's mouth, Kisame smirked and quickly formed the seals Horse and Snake before throwing his hands forward:

沸遁 ・ 気化鮫さ弾 !!

Futton: Kikasamedan!!

Boil Release: Vaporized Shark Bullet!!

Suddenly, Samehada's mouth snapped wide open and a shark of boiling water shot out from its mouth, heading straight for the group. "Stand back!!" Yamato yelled as he stepped forward and put his hands to the ground.

木遁 ・ 三重 木錠壁 !

Mokuton: Sanjū Mukujōheki!

Wood Release: Triple Domed Wall!

As Kisame's chakra bomb shot forward, three curved wooden walls shot up from the ground to meet it, covering the six Konoha Shinobi. The ground trembled when it hit, chunks of wood flying off along the scalding water; the first and second walls were completely destroyed, but the last one held. However, when he saw the Jutsu wouldn't make it through, Kisame clenched his hand into a fist, roaring "Release!!!"; suddenly, the chakra compressed into a small ball and exploded into a cloud of vapor. Yamato barely had the time to think about retreating before the Akatsuki member shot forward, invisible in the cloud, and released the Boil release steam in his arms, hitting the captain with a hefty sword strike.

Yamato shot backwards, finally being stopped by some trees. With more than a few broken bones, he tried to get up unsuccessfully. Naruto and Sora, finally ready, jumped above Kisame bringing down a giant, layered mass of chakra in their hands:

同期まし超大玉螺旋丸 !!!

Dōkimashi Chōōdama Rasengan!!!

Synced Massive Rasengan!!!

Kisame instantly realized that there was too much chakra poured into the Jutsu to safely absorb it with Samehada, instead quickly using the Boil Release chakra in his legs to propel himself back to his partner's location. The pair of Jinchūriki landed the Jutsu on the ground where he'd been a second ago, creating a massive explosion that the Leaf ninja used to retreat. Kisame turned to Deidara, smiling smugly "We got a bit of a troublesome pair here, don't you think so, Deidara-san?" who responded eagerly "Well, at least we got rid of their caretaker. I must say you're very efficient, Kisame, my man!" he laughed.

A few dozen meters away, the Leaf Shinobi regrouped in the temporary shelter created by the forest. Shikanohi, having gotten over his doubts for the time being, quickly stepped up "Alright, listen up. If we want to make it out of this alive, we need a plan. I have something in mind, but I need everyone's help. Naruto-san, you can use long-range Wind Release, right?" the blond quickly replied "Yeah, I know a few Jutsu." the Nara nodded "Alright, you'll come with me. Sakumotsu, how big a water wall could you make if Sora-san shared his Chakra?" - "A gigantic one." the Hyūga answered determinedly. "Alright. Deidara seems just as unstable as I've heard, so I think we have ourselves a plan. Everyone, listen carefully."

Deidara and Kisame quickly narrowed in on the direction they saw the group go in. Suddenly, they saw Tenjō running through the forest, helping Yamato along. Deidara smiled, already chewing on his explosive clay, before Shikanohi caught his attention; "Hey Deidara, you hate the Uchiha right? Well, look at this!!" he yelled before taking off his coat, revealing an undershirt with the Uchiha symbol emblazoned on it. The Akatsuki member's eyes instantly went wild as he cackled "So you were an Uchiha all along, my gut was right!!!! Oh, this mission just got so much better!" he finished as he short forward with a massive grin. Kisame tried reaching towards him to stop him, but he wasn't fast enough. However, when Deidara was about to reach the Uchiha, the ground below him opened as Naruto shot out of it, instantly performing 4 hand seals:

  
Bird! Dragon! Snake! Tiger!

風遁 ・ 螺旋衝撃 !!!!

Fūton: Rasenshōgeki!!!!

Wind Release: Spiraling Impact!!!!

Naruto formed his fingers into a window, manifesting a small swirling ball of Chakra which almost instantly shot out from his hands, forming into a compressed bullet. Deidara contorted his body and shot off Explosion Release Chakra from his feet, bending himself backwards to barely avoid the attack, which shot into a tree a few meters in front of the fighters, decimating it and sending shockwaves into the forest. However, even before this lightning fast dodge, Shikanohi had sent his shadow forward with his Shadow Manipulation Jutsu; Deidara, with his body left upside down in the air from the last dodge, was forced to use his Discharge Kick again, this time shooting into the ground, landing a few dozen meters away in a poof of dust and dirt, not without blasting Shikanohi, who was in front of him, into a tree.

As Shikanohi collapsed, having used too much of his limited Chakra supply and damaged by the Explosion release Jutsu, Kisame quickly rushed towards the pair to finish the job, weaving the seals:

  
Bird! Snake! Dragon! Rat!!

火遁 ・ 濃風火の術! !!

Katon: Kofūga no Jutsu !!

Fire Release: Focused Fire Storm Jutsu!!

A small flame sparked from Kisame's hands, quickly starting to spin and growing into a torrent of fire headed directly for Naruto and Shikanohi. However, Sakumotsu and Sora readily jumped from their hiding spot in some nearby bushes. With Sora's hand on his back, Sakumotsu focused his Chakra in his mouth and formed the seals: 

Tiger! Snake! Rat! Snake! Tiger!!

水遁 ・ 水陣壁 !!

  
Suiton: Suijinheki!!

Water Release: Water Wall!!

A gigantic torrent of water shot from his mouth, fueled by the Nine Tails' and Sora's Chakra, intercepting the Fire Release Jutsu and stopping Kisame dead in his tracks. Sakumotsu wanted to scream as the Chakra running through his mouth felt like it'd tear it apart, but he bore and and continued to shoot out the barrier to contain the projectile that was still somehow fighting through the torrent without dissipating. As he gave out and collapsed on the ground, Sora quickly snatched him up and ran away with Naruto, who was holding the unconscious Shikanohi, narrowly escaping the blast caused by what was still left of the Fire Storm Jutsu. As the firey explosion raged on, Kisame looked back to his partner "Deidara-san! Let's chase them. They're barely alive as is, we just need to go in and capture the Jinchūriki. We shouldn't underestimate those Genin again.". His partner, getting up from the rubble he created by shooting into the ground, nodded, annoyed "Yeah, yeah. I just want to kill that Uchiha kid. If only that annoying Jinchūriki hadn't been there to ruin the fun."- Kisame looked ticked "You do know that that's who we're here to capture, right?".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, Chapter 2 is done! Hopefully you enjoyed a look into the modified characters and original Jutsu I've got going. The current arc will go on for 2-3 more chapters, so maybe tune in for those! See ya!


	3. An insurmountable obstacle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The situation gets out of hand as the group tries to survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

Shikanohi opened his eyes, realizing Naruto was carrying him on his back, running through a forest with the rest of the team following him. His back was sore and he couldn't move his arms, with each bump in the terrain sending jolts of pain through his body. Sakumotsu seemed to be in a similar spot, being carried by Sora, though it seemed Captain Yamato had healed his broken bones from earlier, as he was running on his own; he shared genes with the First Hokage, after all.

Though the Nara boy couldn't tell whether it had been minutes or hours, the group finally stopped at a small cave, covered by foliage, and Naruto let him down on the floor before putting his hands on the spot where Deidara had blasted him with a Discharge Kick. Shikanohi, surprised, felt the pain easing "Naruto-san, you know healing Jutsu?" Naruto answered, his face frowning as he focused "Since my half of the Nine-tails was sealed in my belly, I got a lot more Chakra and a penchant for healing Jutsu. Though Sora's is in his arm, so he does better offensively." Shikanohi chuckled, though it still hurt to do so "I wouldn't have taken you as the healing type, honestly." the Jinchūriki seemed pissed "Careful what you say, ya know!".

Shikanohi finally looked around. Tenjō was trying to heal Sakumotsu, and though he still hadn't quite mastered the techniques taught to him by his mother Tsunade, the extra Chakra that Sora was providing seemed to make up for it a bit. Captain Yamato was writing something down "What's that, sensei?" asked Shikanohi "I'm writing to the Leaf for reinforcements. We'll have to stall Deidara and Kisame when they catch up, but as long as we don't get caught off guard, we'll do better than last time." Sakumotsu finally got up as well, rubbing his cheeks, which had been bruised by the massive amount of Chakra that went through it for the Water Wall earlier "With all due respect, won't it be too late? The cells with other Jōnin in them are out of the village and even a Chūnin cell can't get here that fast." though Yamato shook his head "This is a serious threat to our village's Jinchūriki, it warrants priority over other missions. I'll request a Jōnin who can get here in time. Naruto, summon a messenger frog." The boy complied:

Boar! Dog! Bird! Monkey! Ram!

Kuchiyose no Jutsu!

Summoning Jutsu!

As the puff of smoke cleared, Shikanohi saw a peculiar looking red frog with blue markings around his head and goggles hanging from his neck. "Kōsuke-san! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Naruto cheerfully asked "Naruto... every time you summon me it's something bad. What did you get yourself into this time?" the Jinchūriki laughed nervously "Nothing, nothing! We just... came in contact with an Akatsuki cell... and need to ask the Leaf for reinforcements." the frog's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets "The Akatsuki?! Dear god, we're in the middle of the Land of Fire! Come on, strap the scroll to my back." Captain Yamato stepped forward and tied the message to Kōsuke. "We're counting on you!" said Naruto as the summon leapt away into the forest.

Yamato signaled the group to gather close to him "Alright, I've devised a plan to buy us enough time until help arrives. Deidara and Kisame are actively hunting us and are faster, since they're barely injured, so we can't count on out-speeding them." he said while he laid out a map of the Land of Fire on the ground "We're currently about 105 kilometers from Mount Bunretsu, we can make it there in an hour and a half. There's cave systems underneath the mountain left over from a mining town that's been abandoned for a few decades now. We'll lure those two inside the caves and then Naruto and Sora will collapse them from the outside. Sakumotsu's the fastest out of all of you so he'll stay inside and signal when they're far enough inside, so I'll hold up the roof until he gets out. Best case scenario, we'll have trapped him, and if not, it'll buy us enough time for reinforcements to get here." 

Sakumotsu stepped forward "What if Kisame doesn't enter the caves? He seems a lot more careful than Deidara." to which Yamato nodded "I thought about that as well, but I doubt he'll make it around the mountain in time while carrying Samehada, and I can stop him with my Wood Release if he leaves it behind." the Hyūga seemed satisfied. 

The six Leaf ninja rushed through the forest, the massive mountain they were heading for already in sight. Legend said that the split in its middle had been caused by a massive sword, coming down from the heavens; Shikanohi prayed that if it happened again, the sword would slice Deidara in half this time. He couldn't help but think about how unequipped he was for this kind of battle; as he hadn't unlocked his Sharingan and his Chakra Concentration disease made learning Fire Release Jutsu nigh impossible without finer Chakra control, he had to depend on his intellect and very limited usage of Shadow Manipulation techniques. He promised himself he'd train as much as he could if he made it out alive, though maybe he was being a bit melodramatic.

As the group arrived to the mountain and crossed the cave system, leaving Sakumotsu in the middle of the crisscrossing paths with directions so he could quickly make an escape, Shikanohi could feel his muscles tensing up. He couldn't shake off the fact that Deidara had tried to perform a technique using Samehada in the earlier fight. Using such a big weapon would only slow him down, facilitating Sakumotsu's escape, but the young Nara still felt uneasy about it.

A dozen minutes went by before the group heard loud explosions resonate through the caves. As they assumed battle stances in anticipation, Naruto speculated, lightening the mood a bit "I wonder if he's found Sakumotsu or if he's just getting frustrated that he can't find us." to which Sora chuckled, before getting a stern glance from Yamato and consequently readying another Synchronized Rasengan with his boyfriend. Waiting what seemed like hours, the group finally saw a small torrent of water shoot out of the cave "That's his signal! Sora, Naruto, collapse the roof!!" yelled Yamato, before the Jinchūriki pair slammed the Jutsu into the cave's ceiling, causing massive tremors.

Yamato set his hands to the ground, from which shot out wooden beams that went along the cave as far as he could reach, holding up the roof in a makeshift manner. However, the captain quickly turned around and faced the opposite way to the mountain, sensing a quickly approaching Chakra signature. He barely had time to construct a solid wall before Kisame came slamming into it, breaking through and clashing with Yamato Kunai-to-Kunai. His shark-skin sword was nowhere to be found, and the Wood Release user wrapped beams around the Akatsuki member, holding him against the mountain.

Shikanohi's mind started racing: why did Kisame essentially hand himself over to the enemy, knowing Yamato would be alert and could counter his brute strength if he didn't wield Samehada, and couldn't use his Vaporized Shark Bullet to set up cover? Why was Sakumotsu taking so long, considering he would've had to be decently close to the exit for his Water Release blast to reach it? Was he trapped down there with Deidara, knowing Captain Yamato couldn't hold up the roof and retain two Akatsuki members at once? Before he could answer his own questions, he ran towards the cave. Sora tried to stop him "Shikanohi, I know you're worried but regardless of what you'll see in there, heading in is just suicide.". The Nara boy looked him straight in the eyes, dead serious "If there's even a thousandth of a chance I can save Sakumotsu, I'm going in there. You all focus on retaining Kisame and holding up the roof. I'll at least buy us some time until the reinforcements arrive.". Ignoring Captain Yamato ordering him to stay put, he rushed inside the mountain.

Shikanohi could feel his heart pounding as if it was in his throat as he ran through the winding, collapsing tunnel, the dirt ground becoming darker and darker with water as he went along, the walls lined with Captain Yamato's wooden pillars. Finally, he arrived at the opposite mouth of the shaft, which connected to a bigger, carved out room with a bigger room. Inside, he saw Deidara, holding a bruised, bleeding Sakumotsu by the neck. From his cloak, which previously masked his lack of arms, grew two monstrous, blue, scaled arms, ending in sharp, solid claws. Shikanohi knew that texture; they were the same scales that made up Kisame's Samehada. He'd heard the rumors of a rarely seen fusion between him and the sword, which brought out Chakra on the scale of a Tailed Beast's, but for anyone who wasn't part of the Swordsmen of the Mist to be able to fuse with Samehada was unheard of.

Deidara threw Sakumotsu, his unconscious body landing next to his sword, stuck in the ground a few meters away, as his eyes set on Shikanohi "Oh, the Uchiha kid! I was scared I'd miss you, though I figured the Leaf are so caring about their comrades and all that jazz that you'd come back." as he excitedly talked, miniature explosions sparkled on his hands. The black haired boy preemptively formed the Rat hand seal; he knew his Shadow Imitation Jutsu was his only chance of dragging the fight out long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Deidara grinned before blasting head first in Shikanohi's direction, the boy narrowly dodging while the Akatsuki member crashed into the wall. Shikanohi sent his shadow out into the dust cloud that had formed, but his opponent ran out moments after, unfazed by the impact and out-speeding the pursuing shadow. Shikanohi grabbed a Kunai, circling Deidara before the blond-haired man shot forward once again; Shikanohi blocked the scaled hand, shining with Chakra, that attempted to grab him. He was prepared for the impact, and managed to stick an explosive tag onto it before Deidara released his Chakra and blasted him back. As the tag shone and exploded, he managed to get up and get some distance between himself and his opponent. As the dust cloud cleared, Deidara seemed unfazed, with only some soot remaining on his left palm.

A drop of sweat ran down Shikanohi's dirty forehead; he was utterly outmatched. His Chakra reserves were already more than half empty and it didn't look like Deidara was going to let himself get caught in the Shadow Possession, which would likely only buy a few seconds as his reserves finished replenishing. The Akatsuki member's ability to use his Explosion Release without blasting himself away as well, thanks to his temporary hands, had put a wrench in any battle plans Shikanohi had formed before encountering him. However, he was beginning to adapt. He tried to send out his shadow while running one more time, Deidara shot forward and pinned him against a wall, accustomed to his movements. The blond looked dissatisfied "Come on!! I was at least expecting you to use the Sharingan or something. You're practically a Nara wearing an Uchiha shirt. Though I guess it's nice to round out the kill streak, four is a real unlucky number." Shikanohi chuckled "Hey Deidara, you wanna know something?" pissing the Akatsuki member off "Brat, were you even listening to me?! At least be fun to kill, dammit!!!". The Nara boy continued nonchalantly "You're really easy to distract." rolling his index and middle fingers up, his outstretched shadow that Deidara hadn't noticed in the dust cloud he'd raised wrapped around Sakumotsu's sword.

影掴みの術 !!

Kagezukami no Jutsu!!

Shadow Clutch Jutsu!!

The shadow tensed, throwing the sword straight at Deidara's chest; Shikanohi was far away enough that it wouldn't hit him even after piercing his opponent. Deidara however, swiftly let go of the Nara boy and twisted his body, punching Shikanohi in the chest as he grasped the sword as it was about to hit him and crushed it. "SEE!! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!" he yelled, eyes wild as Shikanohi collapsed onto the floor. The distance between himself and Deidara was utterly insurmountable, even with tactics. As his vision started to fade, however, he felt something. An extremely powerful Chakra signature, heading towards him in leaps of dozens, no, hundreds of meters at a time. Deidara barely had time to block before a yellow flash sparked into the room and slammed into him at full force, blasting him back into the wall just as he'd done to Shikanohi moments earlier. In front of the boy stood a blond figure wearing a light red tunic. In his right hand he held a three-pronged Kunai with a sealing formula on it. In his left, the shining blue ball of condensed Chakra he'd slammed into Deidara; a Rasengan, like the one Naruto and Sora created earlier.

The Leaf's Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, had finally arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an upload gap! Two and a half months, though I have a lot more free time now than I did in October, so I'm hoping to continue this story more regularly. My goal is to wrap up this arc with two or so more short chapters by the end of December and then move on to the next and finish it by February, so we'll see if I can do that. Hope you enjoyed!


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